Leveling device



Jan. 22, 1952 M. v. BALL 2,583,250

LEVELING DEVICE Filed July 27, 1948 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR. MILFRED v. BALL ATTORNEY M. V. BALL LEVELING DEVICE .Ian. 22, 1952 2 SHEETSSHEET '2 Filed July 27, 1948 INVENTOR. MILFRED V. BALL ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 22, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE LEVELING DEVICE Milfred V. Ball, The Dalles, Oreg.

Application July 27, 1948, Serial No. 40,850

2 Claims. (01. 280-6) My invention relates to improvements in leveling devices for vehicles or mobile implements, and more particularly to means for automatically leveling the vehicles.

Modern mobile apparatus, such as combines, are provided with manually operable mechanism for leveling the chassis of the apparatus when it is moved over inclines such as hillsides. The manual control is provided for shifting the driving gears which operate raising and lowering racks and pinions associated with the supporting wheels of the chassis. Obviously, the leveling mechanism may require constant attention and thereby increase the labor involved in the operation of the apparatus.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide an automatic control device for operating the leveling mechanism of the combine.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means for the utilization of the vacuum created by the motor on the combine for operating a vacuum cylinder and shifting the gears of the present-day leveling mechanism on the combine.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide means for employing the principle of a pendulum for operating the control valves for controlling the application of the vacuum admitted to the operating cylinder forming part of my automatic leveling device.

The novel features that are considered characteristic of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, both as to its organization and its method of operation, together with additional objects and advantages thereof, will best be understood from the following description of a specific embodiment when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughout the several figures and in which:

Figure l is an end view in elevation of a conventional combine chassis including typical leveling mechanism and incorporating the present invention for automatic operation of the leveling mechanism.

Figure 2 is a cross-sectional view of a device in accordance with the present invention for automatically effecting the operation of the leveling mechanism.

Figure 3 is a side view of my leveling device for housing the pendulum and the control valves controlling the vacuum supply lines.

Referring to the drawings, specifically to Figure 1, I illustrate the present invention in conjunction with a conventional type of combine. The body 3 of the combine, indicated by broken lines, is supported by a frame 5. A cross shaft 4 is mounted to the frame 5, the wheels I and 2 being journalled in arms 6 which are pivotally supported by this cross shaft 4. Racks 1 are fixed to the arms 6 and cooperate with the pinions 8 and 9 which are keyed to the cross shaft III, which in turn is journalled to the frame 5 by brackets H. The racks 1 are disposed in opposite working positions, one internal and the other external, in order to move the wheels I and 2 in opposite directions.

The shaft I0 is driven through a worm ear train in box H! from the vertical shaft 13 which is journalled in a bearing l5 secured to the combine and has a pinion i4 keyed to its upper end. A reversing gear assembly l6, of a well known type, is associated with the pinion l4 and includes a pair of spaced oppositely disposed pinions l1 and HA slidably mounted on a keyway of a shaft [8, which is driven by a driving chain Hi from a source of power (not shown) associated with the combine. A shifting rod 20 shifts the pinions I! and HA, respective y, in or out of engagement with the driven pinion M on the shaft l3.

This structure is'of well known construction employed in combines for leveling purposes, the shifting of the rod 20 being effected manually. This arrangement is one of the latest and most modern constructions for a combine, and I illustrate the same in order to fully illustrate my invention.

My invention contemplates automatic operation of the shifting rod 20, preferably by a vacuum cylinder assembly 2!. A double ended piston 22 is secured to the shifting rod 20, best illustrated in Figure 2, and operates within the cylinder 2|. This piston is centralized within the cylinder by the springs 23 and 24, positioning the reverse gear mechanism IS in neutral position as shown in the drawings.

My automatic control comprises a box-like housing 25 that is suspended by spindles 28 which are journalled within bearings 29 in the upper ends of pedestals 21 that are mounted on a platform or frame 26 which is supported by the combine. By this supporting arrangement the housing 25 is permitted to oscillate longitudinally of the combine according to its inclination, but is held rigidly with the transverse movement of the combine. Apendulum 29 is suspended in the housing 25 on a pivot 30 to oscillate transversely of the combine. The pendulum is connected by linkage 33 to the control elements of a pair of valves 3| and 32 which are mounted on the opposite sides of the housing 25.

The oscillation of the pendulum 29 controls the operation of the valves 3| and 32 and these valves control the operation of the piston 22 within the cylinder 2|. The valves are respectively connectedv to a vacuum line 34 and a branch 3? thereof, and the line 34 is connected to the intake manifold 35 of an engine 36, which, preferably, is the engine for operating the combine. The valves 3| and 32 are respectively connected by lines 38 and 40 with the chambers 39 and 4| in the opposite ends of the cylinder 2|. Thus, the vacuum of the engine 36 may be selectively connected with the cylinder 2| to draw the piston 22 into either of the chambers 39 or 4| and thereby move the rod 20 to drivingly connect either of the constantly driven pinions I! or I'IA with the pinion Hi. Therefore, the pendulum 29 will control the leveling of the machine through the respective operation of the valves 3| or 32 by movement of the linkage 33.

In the operation of the invention, in the event the combine encounters a variance or a difference of grade, the pendulum 29 will swing either to the left or right, depending upon the slope of the ground, and will operate either one of the valves 3| or 32. For example, assuming that the pendulum moves to the left and operates the valve 3|, vacuum will be connected through line 34 and its branch line 31, valve 3|, line 38 to the chamber 39 of the cylinder 2| and will cause the piston 22 to move the control rod 20 in the direction of the arrow (Fig. 2). This will engage the driving pinion HA with the driven pinion l4, and, as the driving chain I9 is in constant operation, the shaft l3 will be revolved, rotating the cross shaft B through the gear box l2 in a direction to level the frame 5. When the frame is levelled, the pendulum 29 will swing to a vertical position and close the valve 3|, whereupon the springs 23 and 24 will neutralize the piston 22 and, consequently, mechanism IS. The shafts Ill and I3 will be locked against rotation by the worm gear train in the box 2. Obviously, if the pendulum swings to the right, it will open valve 32, which will cause the piston 22 to move into the chamber 4| and connect pinion with the pinion I4.

I do not wish to be limited to the exact structure as illustrated as the primary object of my invention is to automaticallyv control the leveling of a mobile frame by means responsive to the tilting of the frame, and, according to the preferred form, a pendulum is adapted to operate control valves for delivering an operating medium to a cylinder assembly, which in turn will operate a selective driving gear mechanism for operating the wheel adjusting mechanism to level the frame.

Although certain specific embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, it is obvious that many modifications thereof are possible. The invention, therefore, is not to be restricted except in so far as is necessitated by the prior art and by the spirit of the appended claims. 7

Iclaim: 1 i

1. In combination an automatic leveling construction for vehicles, comprising a frame, a shaft mounted on the frame, said shaft having oppositely disposed arms carrying traction Wheels, racks mounted on the arms, an operating shaft journalled on the frame, pinions on the operating shaft engaging the racks to reversely raise and lower the wheels, a vertically disposed shaft, gears between the vertically disposed shaft and the operating shaft, a bevelled gear at the upper end of the vertically disposed shaft, a supporting frame on the upper end of the vertically disposed shaft, a power-driven shaft mounted transversely in the supporting frame, a pair of connected bevelled gears slidably mounted on the power driven shaft, a casing pivotally mounted at the upper end of the supporting frame, a pair of oppositely disposed spaced apart valves supported in the casing, a pendulum swingingly supported in the top of the casing and depending between the spaced apart valves, an operating lever pivoted to each valve, a link connecting the operating lever, a pivotal connection between the operating lever and the pendulum, a source of power, a tubular connection' between the source of power and the valves, a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, springs interbetween opposite sides of the I ston andthe ends of the cylinder, pipes extenc from the valves, one of said pipes communice ing with the cylinder on one side of, the piston, and the other of said pipes communicating with the cylinder on the other side of said piston, a piston rod extending from the piston through hearings in the supporting frame, and a shifting lever between the piston rod and-the pair of spaced apart bevelled gears.

2. In a mobi e apparatus including a chassis supported on independently mounted wheels, means including a vertically mounted shaft, a pinion mounted on the upper end of the shaft, gearing between the lower end of the shaft and the wheels for independently adjusting the elevation of said wheels, a pair of oppositely disposed driven pinions spaced on opposite sides of the pinion on the upper end of thevertical shaf t for selective engagement therewith, means including a cylinder, a piston and piston rod and a connection between the piston rod and the pair of pinions for moving said pair of pinions to from neutral or selectively engaged positions with the pinion on the upper end of the vertical shaft, the combination of levelling means for controlling and operating said vertical shaft, including a ivotally mounted pendulum, oppositely disposed valves, links connecting the valves with the pendulum, fluid supply means connects-u with each valve, fluid means connecting the cylinder and the valves to shift the pair of pinions in selective mesh with the pinion on the upper end of the vertical shaft, whereby when the apparatus operates on a hillside the pendulum will swing and mesh one of the pair of pinions with the pinicn on the vertical shaft and raise and lower the wheels in opposite directions to level the chassis.

IVIILFRED V. BALL.

' REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Kramer Mar. 31 I942 

